Spirits Within Otome
by Spirit Dancer
Summary: For eight years she waited for a promise that was never fufilled. Now she's going back to find the one she loves, and finding out that she's not as human as she originally thought. Rated M for rape and adult situations.
1. Unexpected Meetings

_**Spirits Within**_

_**Spirit Dancer: **_Welcome back, fellow readers. I've decided to keep the old version of Spirits within just incase you guys don't like this one too much. I hope you all like it. I like this so much better then the other one. Anyways, I've kept the basic plotline; the only difference is the ways in which they get to the key events are different.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Spirited Away! That belongs to Hayao Miyazaki. I do however, own Kafu, Kane, and Aiko. SO please don't sue me! For I am a poor college student who does not own much…

**Song Disclaimer:** _"Never had a Dream Come True_" belongs to S Club 7 and their record company. Not me.

xXxXxXx scene change

xVxVxVx same scene, different point of view

* * *

Chpt 1 –_ Unexpected Meetings_

Moonlight silently spilled into the dark room through the window as dark brown eyes stared out at nothing. The house was silent; the occupants had already gone to sleep for the night. So why couldn't she do the same? Why was she the one who couldn't seem to fall asleep? Maybe it was the change in the air….the feeling that something bad was happening, but she couldn't tell what it was exactly.

_Everybody's got something_

_They had to leave behind_

_One regret from Yesterday_

_That seems to grow with time_

She missed them. She missed the people that her parents had brushed off as a dream. And yet how could she accept that everything that had happened during those three days had been 

something that her sub consciousness had conjured? Somehow she knew that it had been real, and nothing her parents said or did would ever convince her otherwise. Sleep continued to elude her as she stared up at the ceiling. Nights like this were often the hardest. She would feel so lonely that her body physically ached. No matter how many people she surrounded herself with; the feeling never truly went away. No…she just buried it along with everything else that she remembered from eight years ago.

_There's no use looking back_

_Or wondering_

_How it could have been now_

_Or might have been_

_All this I know, but still I can't find ways to let you go._

Why couldn't her mind just shut off? She groaned as she tossed and turned for the one hundredth time that night. Brown eyes spied the small purple band that she had set on her nightstand next to her bed before she had attempted to fall asleep. It was the single piece of evidence that what she had seen…that the people she had met and the places she had visited were real. Her parents, and the rest of the human world for that matter, be damned.

_I never had a dream come true._

_Till the day that I found you_

_Even though I pretend that I've moved on,_

_You'll always be my baby_

She was suddenly angry. Eight years…for eight years she hung on to the promise of a twelve year old boy. For eight years she refused to date because none of the boys who asked her out came even remotely close to what _he_ was like. And after eight years, she was sick of waiting for him. She would often walk down the steep hill behind the little blue house. She would tell herself that she was just looking for the trail that somehow always seemed to lead to a dead end. If it weren't for the hair band, the brown eyed girl might have actually believed that it wasn't real….that it was all in her head.

_I never found the words to say_

_You're the one I think about each day_

_And I know no matter where life takes me to,_

_A part of me will always be with you._

With a growl, she sat up and looked out the window towards the forest at the bottom of the hill. Well, she was tired of waiting. She didn't care how long she had to sit there, at the end of the trail to wait for the small door to appear. She would stay there for the rest of her life if need be. She was going back. And there was nothing that her parents or anyone else for that matter could do about it. She nodded her head, and fell back against her pillows.

And finally, she was able to sleep.

_xXxXxXx_

The old woman sighed as she finally finished the huge stack of papers that had been set before her earlier that night. It was almost dawn. The sky was still as dark as ever, but she could feel it; the temperature slowly rising with the sun. A smirk slid across her face as she got up and turned off the little light on the small desk. It was finally time to have some fun. She sent a spell towards the door that would lock it, preventing anyone from entering. This was her key. And if anyone found out about it before she wanted them too, then she could no longer use it to maintain her reputation. Walking slowly over towards the fireplace, she muttered the words that would make the stone hearth move out of her way, the bricks revealing a long staircase that disappeared into the darkness. She sighed deeply as she slowly made her way down the stairs. If the hallway were any bigger, she'd be able to fly down. But no…she was stuck with walking. But that was the reason why she put the stairs here in the first place…..walking down all the god forsaken stairs always put her into a bad mood. The smirk widened as she continued to walk down the long corridor, lighting the candles as she went. It didn't take as long as one would think to make it to the bottom. Once she did, there was a long hallway of holding cells, with rusted copper bars for doors. All of the cells were empty….all save for one. The one that was furthest from the door, the one that was the hardest to get out of. That one was the single reason why she was down here in the first place.

"Get up." She commanded to the body within. The being didn't move. He didn't even acknowledge that she had arrived. He just sat there, body curled up into a ball, eyes staring at the dirty floor in which he sat. "Did you not hear me? I said get up!" Again silence followed the command. The boy didn't move. It was as if he was frozen to the spot. The old lady growled slightly at his disrespect. How dare he ignore her! The figure moved then, a slight upturn of the lips. He was mocking her! Her growl echoed off of the walls this time as she cast the spell that would make him come to her. His body hovered over the ground slightly, arms and legs pulled back slightly because of their bonds. Every inch of him was dirty, the revealed skin covered in both dirt and blood from the wounds he couldn't heal. Jade green eyes regarded her coolly, as if she were the one who was about to be punished, not the other way around. "You arrogant fool! You know what happens to those who mock me!" His face remained emotionless, eyes still looking at her as if she were beneath him. The old witch couldn't take that look anymore. She was temped to remove those eyes of his, which always seemed to look down on her as if she were inferior. Without warning, her finger swiped across the air again. A groan was the only this that escaped his lips as the invisible knives began to once again cut him to tiny shreds, cutting new wounds and reopening old ones.

"I should end you now, for all the trouble your worth! You pitiful snake!" The hissing sound of magic hitting flesh went on for some time, until the floor was once again stained with the crimson liquid. However, the old woman began to feel the effects of the magic and she stopped; letting the bloodied body fall to the ground in a boneless heap.

"You brought this on yourself, _dragon_. Do not forget that." She started to walk away, leaving the young man in the cold cell. He took slow, deep breaths as the waves of pain pulsed from his wounds. Not even a meal this time….he must have really angered her. It was funny how one look could make the old witch so angry. If he wasn't in so much pain he might have laughed. The boy struggled to get to his hands and knees, which was difficult seeing as how little energy he had. A spell was quickly muttered under his breath, and the use of magic left him more drained then he had been before. The blood from his wounds slowed until it stopped all together. If he was ever going to get out of here, he needed to stop using magic so much. Although the spells were small in nature, they still sapped him of energy and power that he didn't have to spare. He almost collapsed back onto the floor, but managed to catch himself. Maybe the green eyed boy should just sleep where he was, and not move away from the door. His body readily agreed, not wanting to move any more that the moment. Jade eyes closed slightly as he tried to move away from the door. No, he couldn't stay there….that would be too easy for _him_. And even though the dark haired boy really wasn't that much more powerful then him, the fool could still pause him pain. And the witch's little visits were painful enough. He didn't need to anger both of them. It took him a lot longer then it should have to drag himself back over to the wall, his aching body pressed against the cold stone. He bit down a groan as he made his body curl back into a ball. It was all he could do to try and keep warm, seeing as he couldn't use the magic spell anymore.

_I'm so sorry…_ A wave of hopelessness flowed through him, seeming to make his wounds burn. Why couldn't he just have listened to the people who tried to warn him? Why did he have 

to be so pig headed that he thought that outrunning the old witch would work? Did he honestly think, with her reputation and power that he could ever outrun her? Yes….he thought to himself. Yes he did. That was the reason why he was stuck down here, weak and with hardly any power left. He had tried to fulfill his promise. He really did, but what he didn't anticipate was Yubaba being able to read him so easily. He had done what the little girl asked. He had broken his apprenticeship with the witch. That angered her of course, but that was nothing compared to how furious she was when she learned that the girl who had caused so much trouble for her figured out his name. He had wanted to go off on his own…find Chihiro and perhaps even find the river that he had lost. But no, Yubaba had refused. She needed him. They were heading into their busy season and Yubaba needed all the help that she could get. That was just a cover though. The jade eyed boy knew exactly why the witch hadn't let him go. She was afraid of him. Yubaba would never openly admit it, but he knew that she was. The witch wanted to keep him where she could watch him.

"_Don't do it, Haku. You know that you'll never be able to pull it off, and getting yourself killed isn't going to help anyone, especially her." _Oh why hadn't he listened to Rin? Why did he think that he had enough power to pull it off? He wished he had the power to time travel. At least then he could go back and talk himself out of going to the gate. His eyes shut against his will, the power from the spell still sapping him of his remaining strength. He wished that he could reach her somehow, and tell her how sorry he was.

xXxXxXx

She rushed around her room as if in a panic. Of all the days to not hear her alarm, this had to be the one. Chihiro cursed herself as she flung things into a small duffle bag. Clothes, toothbrush, socks, brush, iPod….she didn't know how long she was going to be there, if she was coming back at all. She suddenly stopped and looked around the room that she had spent the last eight years of her life in. She had already graduated high school with honors, so she no longer had to worry about that. Her parents wanted her to go on and attend a University, but Chihiro had tried putting it off as long as she could. She just couldn't stand it; she couldn't stand lying to the people who were only trying to help her. Sighing, she looked around the room for one last time, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Now all she had to do was figure out what she was going to tell her parents. She wasn't even sure if the gateway would be there. For all she knew, she could come across another dead end like she had all the other times. But that didn't matter. No matter how many times it took, she'd go down that trail everyday if need be. She was going back one way or another. Snagging her bag, she gently closed her door, and headed downstairs. There was the sound of dishes clanging together in the kitchen, her mother cleaning up the mess from breakfast.

"Hey mom, I'm going over to Kaiko's house, and spending the night ok?" She announced as she put on her shoes.

"Ok. Tell her mother I say hi." Chihiro nodded as she rushed out the door. She had the sudden urge that if she didn't hurry, she'd be too late. Chihiro ran down the hill, and dashed down the well worn trail. Something was different from all the other times that she had gone down the path. Voices, barely whispers on the wind told her to hurry, or else she would be too late. Despite her screaming muscles, Chihiro pushed herself faster, the forest seemed to blur as she continued to run towards the end of the trail. When she finally got there, she froze, as if not believing what she was seeing. The red plaster entrance stood there, as if it had been there all along and she just hadn't seen it. The wind blew strongly then, in the direction of the gate. Not bothering to catch her breath, she made a mad dash towards the door, nearly tripping over the small double faced statue that stood in the middle of the trail. The smells of mold and mildew instantly flooded her nose as she made her way through the building and out the other side into the dimming sunlight. She paused then, and just looked at it.

"I….made it…" She whispered, afraid that if she spoke too loud, then it would all shatter around her and she would wake to find herself only dreaming. The sky was a dark violet color as the sun continued to set. The long grass swayed in the strong breeze, trying to get her to continue on her way. Not needing to be told twice, Chihiro began to walk across the meadow and towards the multitudes of restaurants. When she reached the stairs with the frog sitting on the top, she could smell the food that her parents had fallen for all those years ago. Ignoring the sudden pain in her stomach, she made her way towards the bathhouse. Memories played through her mind as went around to the back where she knew the workers entered. When Chihiro came to the steep stairs, she took a deep breath and descended them slowly. She refused to fall like she had last time. It didn't take her too long, and when she reached the boiler room, she opened the iron door without hesitation. The temperature of the room instantly made her break into a sweat as she made her way towards the open area. The little soot balls were moving across the floor in a steady current, carrying lumps of coal that she knew were at least twice their size. The old man on the podium didn't seem to have heard her, seeing as he kept working. A squeak broke her thoughts, and soon the other soot balls joined the first, squeaking their welcome as they passed her on their way towards the fires.

"What is it, you stupid soot…." The old man trailed off when he saw the cause for all of the commotion. Well, there was a person he thought he'd never see again. The young woman looked over at him and smiled.

"Hey Kamaji." Kamaji finished the two bath tokens that were hanging in front of him hurriedly before jumping off of his podium and running over to greet her. The soot balls scrambled out of the way before coming up to where the two were standing, squeaking happily.

"I thought I was never going to see you again! Welcome back!" His six arms wrapped around her warmly and she returned the hug.

"It's so good to be back." Chihiro sighed, hugging the elderly man more tightly. She didn't have to pretend here. This world truly made her feel like she had finally come home.

"I'm sure. Did you know that-" The sound of wood sliding interrupted him as Rin made her way into the room. Physically, she looked exactly the same as she did eight years ago. The only difference was that she no longer wore the annoying pink uniform that Chihiro had always pictured her in. Instead, she was wearing a light blue kimono with white sakura blossoms that seemed to hug her curves in the right places.

"Ok, Kamaji its chow….." Her sentence broke off as she saw the girl across the room. "Sen?" Chihiro's brown eyes narrowed playfully.

"Who else would it be, Rin?" The woman seemed to be frozen for a split second before she placed the trays of food on the ground and ran across the room.

"Gods I've missed you! You have to tell me EVERYTHING!" Chihiro chuckled as she let the working spirit drag her across the room. The happy mood shattered slightly when Chihiro's hand passed through Rin's. Chihiro chuckled nervously looking at the older woman.

"Oops, forgot about that." Rin sighed and rolled her eyes as she picked up one of the stars that were in the circular bucket.

"Here…It's better then the berries that Haku gave you I'm sure…." Chihiro nodded as she popped the sugary candy into her mouth. The berries were always so bitter. Where Haku got them from she wasn't sure. Speaking of Haku…

"Hey, Rin, do you know where Haku is? I'd like to see him if I could." Despite the roar of the boilers, the room suddenly went silent. Chihiro's happy mood was suddenly shattered as she looked into the faces of her friends. Even the soot balls looked sadder now that her question had been asked."What? Why is everyone so quiet?" Rin and Kamaji shared a knowing look before looking back at Chihiro.

"Haku's been missing for over seven years." Rin told her softly, brown eyes downcast as she looked at her friend. Chihiro felt as if her heart stopped before kicking into overdrive.

"What do you mean, _missing_?"

"He did what you said. He broke his contract with Yubaba, and told her that he wouldn't be working at the bathhouse anymore. She figured out that he was coming to see you, and forbid him from leaving." Kamaji continued for the working spirit, his voice seeming to match his mood.

"I told him not to." Rin muttered, arms crossing over his chest. "I told him that going up against Yubaba and getting himself killed wasn't going to help anyone, least of all you." Chihiro felt the blood drain from her face.

"So you're….telling me that Haku is…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. The thought that Haku was gone, and never coming back was almost too hard to bare.

"Honestly, we don't know. Like Rin said, he had made no contact with us over the past seven years." Kamaji stated sadly. Chihiro found it hard to breathe for a moment as the words slowly sunk in. Rin sighed, as she watched Chihiro's face crumble slightly. She hated to be the barer of bad news, and then force her friend to face the very person who probably the main 

reason for her sorrow, but time was of the essence. If Chihiro didn't find a job soon, the consequences wouldn't be very good.

"Come on….I'll take you to see Yubaba." Rin gently took the human's hand and left her towards the small wooden door. Chihiro nodded slightly, and picked up her duffle bag she allowed the woman to guide her. The ride up to the witch's room was a silent one; Chihiro was too lost in her thoughts to really make a decent conversation. The news about Haku had hit her hard. The main reason that she had come back was to see him. Sure, she had wanted to see the rest of her friends, but it had been Haku who had brought her to them in the first place. She numbly followed Rin as they changed elevators, not seeing the customers and workers who recognized her, and tried to say hello. She knew she was being rude, but at the moment, the brown eyed girl really didn't care. "This is as far as I can go…" Rin's voice made her snap out of her thoughts, and she was suddenly staring into the gaudy hallway that led into Yubaba's office. Chihiro nodded and stepped out of the elevator. Before the doors closed, however, she turned and offered her friend a sad smile.

"Thank you, Rin." Rin's worried face as the last thing she saw before the doors closed, leaving her alone. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the door; wiping her face free of emotion. Remembering what happened the last time, she rammed the golden knocker harder against the door harder then she needed too.

"Do you have to be so rough?" The fake eyes glared at her before a smile slid across it's face. "Oh, look who stumbled back into a world where she doesn't belong." Chihiro simply stood there, waiting for the door to open. After a moment of silence, the door seemed to realize that the girl wasn't going to be bated by idle remarks and it flew open. Chihiro nodded her thanks, and began to walk down the hallway. Even after eight years, she still remembered where to go, and soon came across Yubaba's office doors. Even though she had really knocked, Chihiro knocked on the wooden doors. Not a full five seconds had passed when the oak doors flew open.

"Ahh, Chihiro, come in…" The room hadn't changed since the last time she had come here. The room was still richly furnished, with a large fire burning in the marble fireplace. The chairs and large area rug were still in place along with the large bookshelves that lined the walls. Chihiro walked into the room slowly, stopping when she stood a few feet in front of the large desk.

"I want a job." Her voice was steady, filled with more confidence then it had been the previous time she had been in this room. The three green heads moaned as they shuffled by the desk, large eyes looking between the girl and the witch. Yubaba smiled, the smirk making the lines on her face deepen.

"I knew you were going to say that…" Yubaba placed the piece of paper that she had just signed into a small basket. "But tell me, why should I let you work here again? The last time you worked here, you cost me a fortune that has yet to be repaid." She pointed her pen at the girl in front of her, resisting the urge to exact revenge. There were a few things she had to completely first before she made the human suffer. Taking a slow and deep breath, Chihiro bowed slightly.

"I'm truly sorry, Yubaba. It won't happen again." Yubaba's eyes narrowed as she studied the human in front of her. The brown gaze shifted over towards the fireplace before going back to Chihiro. Well, at least the girl had learned manners.

"You better make sure it doesn't." Yubaba snapped as she tossed a piece of paper and a pen over to the girl. "You know what to do…" Chihiro nodded and caught the floating paper and pen before writing her name in the allotted space. There was a momnt of silence before Chihiro handed the piece of paper back to the witch.

"Here, Ma'am…" Yubaba glared at her before looking at the paper in front of her. She hated the fact that the very girl who destroyed her bathhouse before was now working in it again.

"Ok, you're name will be Sen, just like last time." Yubaba grumbled as she reached behind her and grabbed the rope that hung from the ceiling, making it ring twice. Chihiro's eyes narrowed in confusion while resisting the urge to look towards the door. But that didn't make sense; Rin had told her that Haku was missing….

"You rang, Master?" The voice sounded so similar to _his_ that for a moment Chihiro almost turned to look at him to make sure.

"Yes, Kafu. This girl has signed a contract, set her up with a job." She heard a shuffle of clothes.

"What's your name?" Brown eyes shifted over to the man who sounded so much like the dragon that she longed to see. He looked to be about nineteen with long pitch black hair that fell to his shoulders. Ice blue eyes seemed to pierce through her, and freeze her to the spot in which she stood. They looked so cold, just like Haku's did when she had first met him.

"Sen." Kafu nodded and something flashed within the blue orbs, but was locked away before Sen was able to figure out what it was. It almost seemed as if the man before her had recognized her simply by name.

"Alright Sen…follow me." Chihiro bowed slightly to Yubaba before following the boy out of the office. As she was heading out however, she felt like she was being watched and turned around to find the witch staring at her, a sadistic looking smile on her face. "I said follow me." The man's voice made her jump slightly as she ran out of the room to catch up with him.

xXxXxXx

Was it that time already? He no longer had a sense of time, the days and nights seemed to blend together into one. He could hear her before seeing her, jade eyes keeping their gaze on the ground and away from the monster that was making it's way towards him.

"Well, dragon. It seems like you might get your wish after all…" Yubaba muttered as she made her way towards the cell, a slow smile stretching over her wrinkled face. She had been waiting for an opportunity like this, and without even having to lift a finger; the perfect tool to break the dragon had just dropped into her lap. Haku managed to keep his face blank of emotion, but couldn't help but wonder what Yubaba was talking about. "After all, Eight years is a long time for a human. I guess she got tired of waiting for you to come to her. " Her words slowly clicked, his mind refusing to believe what she was talking about. It couldn't be….there was no possible way that she could have made it back a second time.

"She seemed sad about something, and I bet I can guess what had sent her into such a mood." Jade eyes finally shifted to look at her coolly, just like the thousands of times in the past. She knew that his cool exterior wouldn't last long. After all, she knew Haku better then he thought she did. "You broke your promise. Do you honestly think that she's going to take you back after that?" There was a sight change in the dragon's face, jade eyes hardened into a glare so quickly that the witch had almost missed it. She felt the smirk widen as she walked closer to the cell. "Humans are fickle creatures. It doesn't take much for them to forget those who have hurt them. You might want to thank me. I've given her the means in which to forget her pain." The glare remained as the silent moments passed. His body seemed to hum in joy that Chihiro had come back. But there was non doubt that Rin had already told her what had happened. Yubaba's last statement however tossed him into a sea of questions. What did she mean by that? Would Chihiro actually fall for the witch's schemes?

"Kafu is really taken with her..." Yubaba barely finished the sentence before a growl echoed off of the walls. "And I've given him the job to make sure she stays in line. If she doesn't, he can do what he sees fit to punish her. I'll let you use your imagination on that one. After all, you and him really aren't that different form each other now are you?" Haku couldn't sit still any longer. Ignoring the protests of his weakened muscles, he shot forward and if it weren't for the chains, he would have slammed right into the rusted copper bars. A growl louder then before ripped from his throat, green eyes seeming to be on fire. Large brown eyes widened in surprise as the smirk widened; the witch not seeming to care that a furious river spirit was not two feet from her with only a few copper bars separating them. "Well, it seems that you still have some spirit left in you…" She turned towards the stairs.

She chuckled as she made her way down the hallway and back up the stairs. Jade eyes closed as he tried to calm himself down. If he had even a tenth of his original power, then he could break out of this place and warn Chihiro of the danger that she was in. He prayed that she was smart enough to see through Kafu's lies. If not…..He shook his head, instantly disbanding the thoughts. He would just have to trust that she would see through the façade, and wait for him. All of the strength left his body as he collapsed to the floor in a boneless heap. The fury was still there….the very thought that Kafu of all people was watching over Chihiro, making sure she didn't 'screw up'. Knowing the bastard, he would end up getting her into trouble just so that he would have a reason to punish her. And as much as he hated to admit it, Yubaba was right. Haku knew exactly what Kafu would do if Chihiro slipped up. And he would take great pleasure in doing so. Another weak growl echoed off the walls as the dragon tried to get back to his spot against the wall. He had to find a way out of here…and he had to find it fast.

* * *

So there you have it! The first chapter. Please PLEASE tell me what you think. I know there are probably a thousand and one grammar and spelling errors, but in my defense, I tried to catch as many as I could. Flames are accepted within reason, and I hope you all know where the limit line lies.

Please tell me what you all think!! REVIEW!!


	2. Past Friends and Future Foes

_**Spirits Within Otome**_

_**Spirit Dancer**_: The Transformers musical Score is such a good thing to listen to while you're writing. I never knew that one soundtrack could fit all of my scenes so perfectly. Just listening to the music inspired me to write a few things that I never thought I would write. Anyway, with that rant over with, here is the next chapter. I hope you all like it. Things are slowly starting to take place, and if you're reading the story for the second time, you'll know what I'm talking about. And if this is your first time, then I grin and giggle, because I will be watching and waiting for your reactions _grins_

**Thank you to all those who reviewed!! **Honestly, I was scared that no one would like this story, but you seven have proved me wrong. Many thanks and hugs to fruits-basket-girl94, The-New-Nightingale, nfkjihgqeiub8, WolfAngel-Kaiasa, DaisyQueen, Maskedgoddess, and GothicWolfGirl. Thank you all so much. Your reviews mean so much _hugs and gives out cookies_

**On another note:** I switch between using 'Sen' and 'Chihiro' a lot towards the end of the chapter. The reasoning behind that is when someone calls Chihiro by her real name, she tends to think of herself as Chihiro rather then just Sen. And it's visa versa when someone calls her Sen. So hopefully, this little note will clear some of the confusion away.

**Disclaimer:** ……_Please invent your own disclaimer after the beep……………………………BEEP! _I do however; own Kafu, Kane, and Aiko. So please don't sue me! I'm not worth the trouble, really…

_xXxXxXx_ scene change

_xVxVxVx_ same scene, different point of view

* * *

Chpt. 2 – _Past Friends and Future Foes_

The uneasy silence continued as they walked down the hallway, and Sen resisted the urge to start babbling. Something about the man next to her was giving her the creeps, and yet she couldn't put her finger on what it was. The concern for Haku was starting to make her feel nauseous. She was tempted to ask the boy next to her, Kafu she mentally corrected herself, if he had seen of the dragon; but her gut told her that asking him wouldn't be the best of ideas. It wasn't long before Sen started to recognize the hallways again. They were headed down numerous staircases towards the first floor. There were muffled exclaims and greetings from the workers who still remembered her, and she returned their welcome with a slight smile. They walked for a few minutes more before they stopped in front of the foreman's podium. The frog's eyes widened in delight as he recognized the girl in front of him.

"Sen! You're back!" His exclamation seemed to draw every worker that was within hearing range to the small room, and soon the two were surrounded by a mass of noise. Sen nodded to the frog, but then glanced around her nervously as the crowd seemed to be pushing in on her.

"Quiet!" Kafu's voice made Sen jump and turn her attention back to the man in front of her. The room instantly became silent, all eyes on the two before them. "This girl has signed a contract and needs a job." He barely finished his sentence before the shouting started again. It seemed as if everyone wanted the human in their department, not seeming to care how bad she smelled. Kafu growled and waved his hand in the air, the silence returned much quicker this time.

Kafu then turned to sweep his eyes over Sen, his mind's eye putting her in different job scenarios. Or at least, that's what he wanted everyone else to believe. He could see why the dragon had liked her so much. She was quite beautiful for a human. She really didn't smell that bad either despite her short time here. Her chestnut hair was pulled back into a ponytail before falling in waves down her back. She was slightly shorter then he was, but not enough that she had to physically look up at him. Her skin seemed to be perfect, not a blemish in sight. A few jobs popped into his head based on that fact alone and he had to bite down a smirk. She was incredibly thin, but not enough to appear sick. No…in fact it had the opposite effect. He saved her face for last, and just barely managed to keep his face outwardly cool. She had high cheek bones that seemed to set her face into an oval shape. Her lips had a natural pout to them, and he wondered for a moment if they were as soft as they looked. He saved her eyes for last, knowing that was where he would make the most effect on her. They were light brown, and one could see specks of very dark green around the iris if one looked close enough. He couldn't prevent the small smirk from sliding across his face this time.

"Master Kafu, if I might suggest that Sen be placed with Rin? One of her workers has fallen ill, and she needs someone to replace her…" Someone stated timidly, breaking the silence that seemed to have fallen over the room, but Sen wasn't sure who it was. Kafu had been staring at her for a full five minutes, ice blue eyes seemed to drag themselves over her as if he was inspecting a horse. A small smirk slid across his face as his blue eyes finally found hers. Sen suddenly had the urge to back up and run as far away from the man as possible, but she stood her ground and looked at him right back.

"Alright…Rin, show Sen to her new room and get her set up…" Blue eyes finally moved from her face to Rin, who looked like she was trying to hide the excitement she felt, and Sen released a sigh that she didn't realize she had been holding. "The rest of you get back to work!" His voice bounced off the walls and the crowd slowly dispersed. Sen took another deep breath to calm her nerves as Kafu walked back the way they had come. Something then touched her shoulder making her jump.

"Whoa, Sen. It's just me…" Sen let out a nervous chuckle as she turned to her friend. Dark brown eyes looked at the human in front of her with concern. Sen looked like she was trying to hide from something that was going to get her. "You look like you've seen a ghost….are you ok?" Light brown eyes looked back over her shoulder to make sure Kafu was no where in sight before answering Rin.

"Yeah, Kafu just…..gives me the creeps." She felt a shiver run down her spine that caused goose bumps to rise on her skin. Rin chuckled then as she turned and headed towards the staircase that would lead them to their room.

"Yeah, you and everyone else. And here I thought Haku was bad…" Sen's face fell slightly as she was once again reminded that Haku was still missing. Rin had continued talking but the human barely heard her. She didn't know if he was even alive or not. That thought hurt the most…thinking that Haku might never come back. No more tentative smiles at something that she hadn't understood. No more random acts of kindness that didn't really seem to fit his personality, but at the same time fit perfectly. It took Rin a moment to notice how quiet Sen had gotten, but when she did the brunette wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders. "I'm sure he's fine, Sen. Come on, this is Haku we're talking about. If anyone can take care of himself, it's him." Sen smiled slightly at Rin's attempt to make her feel better. She wanted to believe the spirit's words. She really did, but the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach wouldn't go away. It was then that she realized she didn't know where she was going.

"Hey, Rin…where are we?" Rin grinned as she stopped in front of two wooden doors.

"I got promoted." With that, she opened the door and walked into the room. The first thing Sen noticed was that the room was a lot bigger then the one that she had slept in the last time she was here. There were eight twin sized beds lined up against the wall to her left, with eight more sitting against the opposite wall, the two rows facing each other. There was a large area run in the middle of the room and the closets were over to her left. Brown eyes narrowed in confusion as a thought hit her.

"Yubaba doesn't seem like the one to promote her employees…especially when it deals with this much money." Sen stated as she walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. She walked across the wooden floors to where Rin was searching through small outfits that looked, at least from where Sen was standing, like kimonos. The spirit glanced over her shoulder at the girl behind her, dark brown eyes seeming to take in her size before continuing to shuffle through the curtains of silk.

"Yeah well I guess we impressed her the last time with that river spirit." Rin muttered, more to the row of clothes then the girl behind her. There was a long moment of silence that was only interrupted with Rin's mutters of 'too big' or 'too small'.

"So she just…promoted you?" Rin turned to look at the girl behind her, absently handing her the undershirt.

"Yeah…. I was just as surprised as you are…" Sen's eyes widened in shock….but that didn't seem like the witch at all. Sen took the undershirt slowly, still deep in thought. Rin then turned around and proceeded to finish looking through the kimonos.

"So…what do you do now?" Sen asked softly, her thoughts still running a thousand miles an hour. Something didn't seem right. Yubaba would never do that unless she was forced to. But who would force the witch to do something like that?

"I attend to the guests. And from now on, so do you." Rin grinned as she pulled out a blood red kimono with silver dragons on it. "Ah here we…." Rin's voice faded as she took a closer look at the design on the silk. "Or not…I'll find another one."

"No!" Sen reached out to stop the woman from putting it back. "It's beautiful. Thank you, Rin." A smile touched her lips as she ran her fingers over the silver threads. "Thank you…"

_xXxXxXx_

The days seemed to slip by one after the other and it wasn't long before Sen had realized that she had been in the spirit world for over a month. She felt a little guilty for lying to her parents. She wanted to go back and tell them that she was perfectly fine and safe, but the fear of not being able to return made her reluctant. And to make matters worse, Haku was still missing. Sen had made a vow that she would find him, but so far she had very little to go on. When she would ask the other employees if they knew something, she would always get the same answers.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't been here that long. The only one I can think of is Kafu…"

"Try asking the foreman. Perhaps he has seen him…"

"Sorry, Sen, but I have no idea. Try asking Kafu." The foreman rubbed the back on his neck nervously, as he gave the girl the bath token she had requested.

"Thank you." Sen bowed slightly before turning on her heel and going back to the baths. She had left her customer alone long enough and it should be ready for its bath by now. Her thumb unconsciously ran over the silver dragon that was stitched onto her left sleeve as she slowly made her way across the busy bathhouse. And if Haku being missing wasn't bad enough, Kafu seemed to refuse to leave her alone for more then five minutes straight. It was really starting to piss her off. When she had asked why he always had to watch her, he told her that he had orders. Not for what, or from whom, just he "had orders". Yubaba _was_ the only person that Kafu seemed to listen to. But why would Yubaba want Kafu to watch her 24/7? Didn't he have duties to take care of? Maybe errands for Yubaba just like Haku had? The sounds from the baths and the spirits in them were all background noise as she turned the corner that would lead her to the stall in which she belonged.

To be honest, it was kind of creepy, having those ice blue eyes always following her around, only leaving her alone when it came time to go to sleep, or for decency reasons. Rin, for some reason or another, never seemed to notice the boy when he would follow them around the bathhouse; which only added to the list of questions that Sen had. She knew that Rin was usually more observant then this, so why was it that she never saw Kafu? Sen had even gone out of her way to point the boy out to the woman, but when she looked, he was gone. Whatever Kafu's "orders" were, Sen wished that he would get them completed soon and just leave her the hell alone. Rin saw her approaching and ran to meet her, brown eyes looking irritated.

"Sen, where have you been?" She said in hushed tones. "The tree spirit has been ready for his bath for the past ten minutes." Chihiro smirked slightly as she followed Rin back towards the stall.

"Sorry, Rin. I…got caught up." Rin looked about to retort but Kafu cut her off.

"Yubaba wants to see you Sen. Rin can cover for you while you're gone." Kafu looked at Rin as if daring her to argue with him. Rin glared at the man and snagged the token from Sen.

"You might as well go. Not like you have a choice in the matter anyway. I'll explain it to our guest…" And with that, Rin walked the rest of the way to the bath, apologizing for the inconvenience that the spirit may have experienced. Sen sighed and began to follow Kafu to the elevators.

"Why does she want to see me?" Kafu glanced over his shoulder, and Sen couldn't help but shiver slightly at the cold gaze.

"Why does it matter?" Kafu snapped, turning his head back to look forward again. Those four words however made Sen worry a little. Worry, because Kafu didn't know why either. And if Kafu didn't know then it must be something bad. It didn't take them long to reach Yubaba's floor, and Sen then proceeded to go through the open office door.

"Aren't you coming inside?" Sen asked when Kafu didn't follow her. Kafu merely glanced at her, blue eyes seeming to glue her to the spot in which she stood.

"She wishes to speak to you alone. I will be waiting right here to escort you back to your bath." Sen nodded, slightly confused before she entered the office. The slamming of the doors made her jump as she proceeded to stand in the middle of the room. Yubaba was sitting at her desk, working on the never ending pile of papers. A moment of silence passed before Sen couldn't take the suspense anymore.

"You wanted to see me ma'am?" She bowed slightly to the old woman. Yubaba looked up, large brown eyes seeming to sweep over her as if inspecting her. Sen's brow crinkled in confusion as the witch continued to study her.

"You've grown since I last saw you. You've matured into a fine young lady." Yubaba stated, brown eyes looking a lot kinder then Sen ever remembered them being. "And didn't I tell you to call me Granny from now on?" It took Chihiro a moment to remember what the witch was talking about, but once she did, a smile flashed across her face.

"Granny!" Chihiro rushed around the desk, arms out ready to hug the old woman.

"Shush! We don't want Yubaba's apprentice to hear." She couldn't keep the laughter from her voice as she caught the girl in a hug. "It's good to see you again." A thought then hit the human as she pulled away to look at Zeniba.

"But, if you're here, then where's Yubaba?" Zeniba shrugged as if it weren't important. But to her it probably wasn't.

"I asked her to meet me to discuss something important. Our meeting place is a good four hours away, even for her. But once she realizes I'm not there, she'll come back quickly, so we'll have to hurry. She's been gone for over two hours already. I needed to show you something, and I'm afraid you're not going to like it very much." The witch's smile fell as she made her way over to the fireplace. Sen stared after her in confusion before moving to stand next to her. "When the time comes, you must leave when I tell you to. I know it will be hard, but you must promise me that you will return to your duties when you are told, otherwise there will be serious consequences." Sen didn't like where this was going, but nodded anyway.

"I promise." Zeniba nodded, and then proceeded to say a few words in a language that Sen didn't understand. The fireplace groaned before it shifted over to the right enough so that both women could make it through. There was a large staircase that went in a downward slope before disappearing into the darkness.

"Here…you will want to wear this. I do not want to have you dirty that beautiful kimono." Zeniba handed the girl what looked like a black bath robe. Sen slipped it over the red silk before she followed Zeniba into the tunnel.

_xVxVxVx_

What was taking them so long? He wasn't sure why the witch needed to see the girl in the first place. Something seemed off about the whole thing, but Kafu wasn't stupid enough to go against what 

Yubaba had ordered. Leaning against the wall, Kafu sighed in boredom. Why did he have to lead the human around everywhere anyway? Yubaba was acting as if Sen was trying to pull something. He hadn't known the human girl for very long, but she seemed to be quite intelligent when she wanted to be. He had heard her asking about Haku, and that had caught his interest. He had yet to tell Yubaba about it of course. After all, he wanted to be the first one to punish her if she did something wrong. That thought alone caused a smirk to slide across his face. Maybe watching Sen's every move wasn't as bad as he thought. It certainly was entertaining. He could tell that he annoyed her, always being there, always watching. And of course, that only made her all the more desirable. Sen's voice them hit his oversensitive ears, causing him to once again pay attention to what was happening in the room. Because of the spell that Yubaba had put on the door, he couldn't make out the words that were being said within the room. Yubaba seemed to be scolding Sen about something, but what he didn't know. It didn't matter, soon she would be done, and he could take Sen back to where she was needed. Another moment of silence passed before a deep rumble echoed off the walls.

"What the hell…?" Kafu muttered to no one as he pushed off the wall. That certainly wasn't normal. Yubaba never goes down to see Haku unless she's alone. Ice blue eyes stared at the door before gently pushing against it. Much to his surprise, the door opened without a sound, and he opened it just enough to see Sen disappear into the dark tunnel.

_xXxXxXx_

The torches seemed to light themselves as the two made their way down the stairs. The air was stale and smelt heavily of mold, not to mention the temperature. "Why is it so cold?"

"The cold makes it harder for spirits to cast spells and saps them of their energy as well." Zeniba muttered sadly and Sen shivered, wrapping her arms around herself to try and retain some of her body heat. Her stomach was tying itself into knots as they continued to descend. How long was this staircase anyway? And why did she have the feeling that something bad was going to happen? Goosebumps began to pop over her skin causing her to shiver. It must be at least 40 degrees…

"W-why are you taking me down here G-granny?" Sen had to force out the words, slowly so that her chattering teeth didn't bite off her tongue. Zeniba sent a sad glance over her shoulder.

"I'd cast a warming spell on you if I knew it would help. I'm sorry, dear." Zeniba seemed unaffected by the cold musty air, the witch continuing down the stairs as if she hadn't heard the girl the first time. Sen growled slightly.

"S-stop avoiding the q-question." Zeniba sighed as she continued downwards.

"You'll find out soon enough." But the question was if the human was ready for it?

_xXxXxXx_

Voices….small murmurs that hovered just outside of his consciousness, raising him from the light sleep that he had finally been able to achieve. What did the witch want now? Hadn't she had enough fun for one day? No, he silently answered himself. Yubaba could keep him down here for decades, and would take great pleasure in it. Sighing, he blocked the voices out and was almost able to call back the dreamless sleep that he rarely got. But the voices persisted, and it was then that his tired brain finally clicked the thoughts into place. Voices….more then one. And the second voice didn't sound like the other demon that came to torture him. The tones echoed off the walls, making it hard for him to understand them, even with his acute hearing. Jade eyes remained closed, the lids feeling as if they were made of lead. He was so tired. All he wanted was to sleep for a few hours in attempt to gain some of his strength back. But the coldness in the air usually prevented that as well. The voices stopped then, the silence bringing him out of his thoughts. It was almost too quiet, and that's what made the dragon worried. His eyes slowly opened and all drowsiness was instantly gone when jade met warm brown.

_xVxVxVx_

"S-seriously, Granny. Please t-tell me w-what we are d-doing down h-here." Sen just wanted one answer. Just one… that was it. But Zeniba didn't need to answer the human's question as they finally reached the bottom of the stairs. Brown eyes widened as they glanced down the row of empty cells. She wasn't even aware that the bathhouse had a place like this. The hallway was very long, and against the end wall was a cell that had thicker bars then all the others. It also looked to be the hardest of all of them to get out. Sen's face paled when she realized that this single cell was the only one that wasn't empty. She could barely make out the person within seeing they nearly blended in with the wall that they seemed to be leaning against. Sen looked to Zeniba, but the old witch just sighed and began to make their way towards the end of the hallway. Brown eyes couldn't seem to take themselves off of the being before them. She still couldn't tell whether the occupant was male or female, with the way that they were curled up against the wall. Their once white clothes looked sickly brown with all of the mud that had gotten on it. As they got closer, she realized with dread that it wasn't mud staining the cloth, it was blood. The being before then twitched, and the head slowly rose. Well, she could tell that it was male now…there was no way that a 

woman could pull off the angles that lined the face of the person before them. His eyes were closed, dark hair falling in ratty knots past his shoulders. He seemed so small, with the way that his legs were curled up against him. Slowly the eyes opened, and that was when time seemed to stop. Because Sen could never forget those eyes. The eyes that had haunted her dreams for the past eight years. The cold suddenly wasn't a problem anymore and it felt as if the room had suddenly lost it's oxygen as they continued to stare at each other; both in disbelief at what they were seeing. She was almost afraid to say his name….afraid to believe that not only he was alive, but he looked like he was holding on to the life he lived by a mere thread.

"H-Haku……?" Jade eyes seemed to continue staring at her, and she could see every emotion that flickered in them. Hope, fear, sadness, regret. The metal door seemed to suddenly open, but Sen couldn't make herself move towards it.

"We don't have much time, dear." Zeniba's voice snapped Sen out of her trance as she rushed into the cell and slid to a stop by the boy. There wasn't a spot in the reveled skin that had not been cut or bruised in some way. His once beautiful hair fell in knots to his mid back, the bangs now rested at his chin. The light grey outfit that she remembered him in was so stained with blood and dirt that it looked like it was more of a rusty red color and had so many rips, tears and holes in it that it barely managed to continue covering his body. Sen let out a shaky breath, but couldn't get over the shock of how hurt he was; nor the anger towards the person who was responsible.

"What……what has she done to you?" Her voice was more of a whisper, afraid that if she spoke too loud she would wake up and find out this was all just part of some sickening nightmare. Part of her hoped that it was. She would prefer think of the man before her as dead instead of being in the shape that he was in at the moment.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't used it in a very long time. He looked so scared, sitting there with his legs drawn up against him. Sen couldn't answer; her tongue seemed to be glued to the roof of her mouth. Jade eyes switched from her to the witch behind her. "Why the hell did you bring her here? You know what the consequences will be if she gets caught."

"She wanted to see you, Haku. She thought you were dead. Now here…eat these." Zeniba waved a had in front of her, and three rice balls appeared in her hand. "It will give you back some of the strength that my sister has stolen from you." Haku sighed before gglancing at the witch in front of him.

"Listen to me, Zeniba. You need to leave." Haku's gaze switched from the old woman to the young girl in front of him. "You both need to leave now before Yubaba comes back."

"What's going on? Why are you so scared?" Sen asked, cutting the dragon off. She didn't understand why he was in such a rush to get rid of her. Was it because he no longer needed her? No longer wanted her there with him? A piece of her heart broke off at the thought. Zeniba seemed to ignore him and pressed the small package of rice balls into the boy's hands, but they were instantly forgotten.

"Chihiro listen to me." Jade eyes bore into brown, trying to convey how important the message was. "Be careful when you're around Kafu. He is not all that he seems. Please Chihiro. If you do anything for me please do as I say. Kafu is a very dangerous spirit. Do not be caught alone with him. Always make sure you have another spirit with you, do you understand?" Chihiro nodded slightly, brown eyes wide in fear. She didn't like the desperate tone that Haku was using. He made it seem as if Kafu was out to get her or something. "Don't do anything that would make him angry, or give him the reason to punish you." Sen nodded again, wide brown eyes unable to look away from the dragon's face. "Promise me."

"I promise." Chihiro whispered, and Haku seemed to relax a little. He even managed a very small smile.

"Good. I'm counting on you to keep your promise." He slowly raised the rice balls to his mouth, taking very small bites. After however many weeks of no food, he wanted to make the small blessings last as long as they could.

"They should give you back enough energy to last you a few weeks without my sister or Kafu knowing. But if you don't finish them right away, you must keep them hidden. My sister must not of my visit." Zeniba continued as she stood by the door, a sad smile on her face. "It sickens me that she treats her prisoners so badly. Even with you, one would think that she would have more class then this."

"Well, I'm not her most favorite person in the world…if you haven't noticed." Haku's smile grew a little and Chihiro couldn't take her eyes off of him. She was so happy that everyone was wrong, and that he was alive. Maybe not fine, but him being alive was far more then she could ever ask for.

"I'll find a way you get you out, Haku-"

"No! Do not do anything to anger Yubaba." His fierce expression returned. All traces of his previous smile gone. "Please Chihiro. You promised."

"But you can't expect me to just sit around and work for that….._monster_ while you're down here, rotting away being hurt like this." Dirty hands grabbed the sides of her face to make sure that she was looking at him.

"I know it will be hard, but please Chihiro. I can not stand the thought of them hurting you too. Just act as if you don't know anything. You still have no idea where I am. You must NOT give Kafu or Yubaba any reason to think that you know my whereabouts."

"But-"

"Listen to me!" Haku's weak voice echoed off the walls slightly, and Chihiro found herself unable to speak again. "Please. I will be fine. I've lasted this long." he smirked slightly before it died. "A few more years won't kill me." Brown eyes widened at the thought. _Years?_ "And besides, I won't let the likes of Yubaba finish me off that easily.

"Oh Haku, can't you see you're scaring her?"

"Good. maybe then she'll listen." Haku retorted sharply. Zeniba shook her big head and looked over to Chihiro.

"I'll make sure that he is well taken care of. You don't need to worry, Chihiro." A wrinkled hand rested gently on the girl's shoulder. Haku's hands slowly dropped to pick up the rice ball again. He needed to try and finish them as soon as he can. The faster he got rid of them, the better. Chihiro suddenly felt so useless. She hated the fact that she couldn't do anything to help the young man out. Without realizing what she was doing, she suddenly wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Lords was he cold. His skin felt as if it were made of ice, and Chihiro found herself wishing that she had done this sooner. Maybe then she could have warmed him up a little.

"Then promise me, Haku. Promise me that you will wait for me. I can't stand to see you treated this way, and I can't just sit around doing nothing." She felt that Haku was about to object so she continued. "I will keep my promise. I won't do anything out of line." She pulled back so that she could look him in the eye, a small smile in her lips. "Yubaba will not have a better behaved employee in the house." The smirk slowly died then as she became more serious. "But I will find a way to get out of here ok? One way or another I will set you free." Seeing as he wasn't going to convince her otherwise, Haku just sighed and nodded his head.

"Just remember your promise. And remember my warning." He smirked slightly then. His little Chihiro certainly wasn't a little ten year old girl anymore. She had blossomed into a beautiful young woman; however the thought only made his warning all the more serious. Kafu would indeed enjoy punishing her in the state that she was in now. Pushing those thoughts aside, he smiled again, and for the first time in eight years, he felt peace.

"I will." Chihiro smiled back before lightly kissing his cheek. She had the feeling that she had already been down here for too long. If she didn't return soon, people other then Rin might begin to notice her absence.

"I will be back as soon as I can, Haku. You hold on until then, and remember to keep those rice balls hidden." Zeniba said, the sad smile returning on her face. Haku nodded, eyes never leaving Chihiro's.

"Until next time, Chihiro…" Haku murmured softly, the smile trying so hard to stay in place. A sudden wave of sadness suddenly washed over the human as she hugged him again.

"Until next time, Kohaku…."

"Come child, time to get going. We have already stayed longer then we should." Zeniba began make her way out of the cell. Chihiro nodded and slowly rose, dusting off the robe as best she could. She didn't look back when she exited the cell, but couldn't help but wince when she heard the metal door shut with a soft _bang._ She began to follow the witch down the hallway and couldn't help but look back once more. Haku nodded and stuffed the rice balls behind him with a small grin, where they disappeared from sight. Her vision blurred slightly, but she left the tears unshed as she climbed up the stairs, and Haku disappeared from her view.

* * *

_**SD Special note:**_ I've gotten some reviews that are telling me that they have read a story exactly like this one. With all due respect for those persons, may I remind you that I am re-writing my story "_Spirits Within_". It's on my profile, I haven't deleted it. You can still go read it. I am re-writing this story because I believe that I can improve the holes that I had in the original story. So please, read my Authors notes at the beginning and the end. It's not just me sprouting nonsense. I don't put anything on here that does not hold some sort of importance. Thank you very much.

_**Spirit Dancer:**_ OK…so there's chapter two. I debated on making it a little longer, but I thought that the next chapter would have more affect if I stopped chpt 2 here. Please don't be mad. I'll update really soon. It seems that I can't stop once I've started, and I am starting to get to the more interesting parts _grins evilly_ Oh I can't wait. Also, I know that the ending might be a little confusing to some of you. I will explain it in the next chapter, so please be patient. And y'all know what to do. Please review!!


	3. Awakening

Ok, first of all I have to say that I AM SO FREAKING SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO FREAKING LONG!

Gods….I never thought that it would take so long. These last two years have been….nothing short of hectic and stressful. I'm out of school for right now, so hopefully I can pull the next chapter out of my ass before too long. Thank you all for being so patient with me. I really do not deserve your kindness. But I made it long. 27 pages. It was actually going to be a little longer, but I had to stop it because the part that's next is taking me forever…so I give you this much. Again, I am so sorry. Please forgive me….

_A big thank you to all of those who reviewed. There are honestly too many of you to list you all by name, but thank you so much!_

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Spirited Away; it belongs to Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. So please don't sue me. For I am a poor college student and have no money in which to give you. I do, however, own Kafu, Aiko, and Kain.

* * *

Chpt. 3 _Awakening_

It had been almost three months since Sen had visited Haku. She was overjoyed that he was still alive, but the worry that came with it had slowly become visible to others. The human would find herself daydreaming when she was supposed to be paying attention to the customer. Rin had to point out that Sen had gotten exceedingly clumsy; spilling food and drinks all over the floors and sometimes over the guests that she was serving at the time. Sen would forget where she was going and why, and end up taking twenty minutes to complete an errand that only should have taken five. Sleep would elude her as she continued to think of ways to help Haku out of the situation that he was in. The 'mistakes' were getting so bad that Yubaba threatened to punish her if they continued, and for a while they stopped. Sen seemed to be cured however it didn't take them long for them to resurface and were worse then before. After two months of Sen making mistakes, Rin pulled her aside while they were on their way back to their dorm.

"OK, spill it." Rin's eyes bore down into Sen's, and the human fought the urge to start squirming. She knew that she wouldn't be able to lie to the spirit, Rin knew her far too well for Sen to be able to pull _that_ off. Maybe she could talk her way out of it… the less Rin knew the better. If the eventual nonexistent plan went down hill, Sen didn't want Rin to be a part of it.

"Spill what Rin?" Sen tried to make her voice sound confused and ignorant, but just as she thought, Rin saw through the façade instantly.

"Don't give me that. You were never this clumsy, not even as a child. You were not like this before Yubaba summoned you three months ago." The anger left her face as it softened. "I know that you're not sleeping, and I'm worried about you. Everyone is." Sen couldn't look into the spirit's eyes anymore. She felt so guilty for worrying Rin and the others, but what could she do? She couldn't just sit by and do nothing while Haku was being starved and beaten to death. Now that she knew where he was, the need to see him was a constant ache in the pit of her stomach. She wished she could do something for him. Brown eyes glanced back up at the woman in front of her with renewed determination. She had been throwing this idea around for the past couple of days, and as risky as it was, it was the only way she could think of to help the dragon who meant so much to her. Sen glanced down at the empty hall before she grabbed Rin's hand and dragged her into the nearest empty room.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone, got it? Not a soul." Rin's eyes widened in shock and confusion, but she nodded her agreement. "OK….Haku's alive." Sen stated as if that answered every question in the world. Rin stared at her in utter shock as the words clicked one by one in her head.

"What?" Rin exclaimed, and Sen's hand flashed to cover her mouth.

"Shut up! Do you want to get us in trouble?" Sen whispered harshly, glaring at the woman in front of her. Rin took a deep breath and nodded, granting her release. Sen listened to the sounds around them to make sure that no one heard Rin's outburst, and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't hear anything.

"OK…So Haku's alive. How the in the world do you know that?"

"I saw him. Granny…Zaniba, took me to see him." Sen's face darkened slightly as she continued. "It's really bad, Rin…What Yubaba's doing to him. It looked like he hadn't eaten in days, not to mention all the wounds he had. He told me to just wait for him, and that he'll get out soon, but I don't see that happening within the next few years." Rin nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, it makes sense…Yubaba is known to be ruthless with her prisoners." The two stood in silence for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts. "So that's why you've been distracted? I should have known…" Rin stated with a small smile. Sen glared at her as she debated on whether telling Rin her plan. On one hand, if Sen got caught, then Rin couldn't be pinned for helping her. On the other, however, Sen couldn't deny that having Rin in on the plan would be a great asset. She was Rin's assistant after all. "What's that look for?" Rin's voice snapped Sen out of her thoughts.

"I...I've been thinking of going to see him again." There was a long moment of tensed silence before Rin hissed in anger.

"Are you CRAZY?" She whispered harshly, brown eyes narrowed on the girl before her. "You could get yourself punished, or worse killed. I'm sure that Haku would like that too much."

"But think about it, Rin. I heard the spell that Zeniba used. I can sneak into Yubaba's office while she's sleeping and be out before anyone knows that I'm gone." Sen's face was alight with excitement as she described her plan to her friend. "I can bring him food at least…maybe something to help heal his wounds-"

"Whoa! Hold it!" Rin exclaimed, cutting the girl off. "What makes you think that you'll be able to get to him in the first place? A spell takes more then just a word or two, Sen. You have to back it up with magic." Sen's face froze before it fell. She hadn't thought about that.

"I have to try, Rin. I can't just sit here and do nothing." Rin's expression softened slightly, as she gently placed her hands on the shoulders of the girl before her.

"I know it's hard, but I think that the best thing for Haku right now is knowing that you're safe, and not getting into trouble. You trying to see him….its like playing with fire, Sen. You'll get burned."

"I will not." Sen looked up at her friend with fierce determination. "I just….I need you to help me. If I'm not back in time, cover for me. Say that I'm sick or something." Rin sighed, knowing that no matter what she said she had already lost the argument. Sen would go off and see the dragon anyway, no matter how many times she told her not to.

"I still don't think this is a good idea." Rin closed her eyes and shook her head at the very thought of allowing Sen to go through with this. "And the gods know that Haku is going to kill me when he gets out of there." She opened her eyes to look Sen square in the eyes. "But if you get caught, just know that Yubaba will be the least of your problems. Got it?" A smile broke out on Sen's face as she wrapped her arms around Rin in a fierce hug.

"Thank you, Rin." Rin rolled her eyes as she returned the gesture.

"Yeah, yeah…And don't you say that I never did anything for you."

xXxXxXx

She ran down the hallway, her bare feet making hardly a sound on the wooden floors. Adrenaline flowed through her veins, heightening her senses as she made her way towards the elevator. The silence rang in her ears. She had forgotten how quiet the bathhouse got when everyone was sleeping. Every sound she made seem to echo off the walls, announcing to the world that she was doing something that she wasn't supposed to. She let out a sigh of relief when the doors closed and the small box began to ascend.

"Almost there…" However that thought only made the task before her all the greater. The hardest part was yet to come. She refused to think about what would happen if the plan didn't work. Yubaba's bedroom was on the other side of the nursery. So as long as she didn't make any loud noises, then she would be fine. All the padding in the nursery made the perfect sound proof barrier. As the elevator slowed to a stop, Sen took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She could do this.

She could do this.

The elevator doors opened to the dark front hall. The lights were dimmed but still on in the case that someone needed to walk about with out running into things. Sen silently walked across the tiled floors, and shifted her small bag on her back into a more comfortable position. She steeled herself as she silently opened the door, and closed it in the same matter, shutting her into absolute blackness. The hallway, unlike the front room, and no lights to light the long hallway, nor did it have windows to let the natural light in. Sen closed her eyes in attempt to get them used to the darkness, and was rewarded when she opened them again. She could barely make out the walls, and the breakable vases that were standing against them. Making sure she stayed in the middle of the floor, she slowly made her way down hall until she reached the turn off that led to Yubaba's office. The door was slightly open, with the sun spilling in through the windows that the witch had forgotten to close. There was a small fire crackling in the fireplace, as well as light from the desk light. Sen looked around the room, even though she knew that Yubaba wasn't going to be in there. If she listened hard enough, she could hear the woman's snores through the two rooms. If she didn't have so much on the line, Sen might have laughed. Closing the door without a sound, Sen made her way across the stone floor and the rug to stand directly in front of the fireplace. The heat warmed her legs as she steeled herself, just incase her little mission turned sour.

"**_Patefacio*_****…" **Her voice was barely a whisper; the fear of being caught stole its volume. For a long moment, there was nothing. As the seconds stretched into minutes, Sen found herself torn. It hadn't worked. But maybe it could work. Maybe she hadn't said it loud enough.** "****_Patefacio_****." **She said again, slightly louder then before, praying to the gods that it worked. She wasn't sure if she could handle it if it didn't. Brown eyes looked over her shoulder towards the door that led to the nursery where the baby slept. She couldn't stay here much longer. Looking back over at the stone fireplace, she stepped closer to it. **"****_Patefacio_****….**come on, open damn it." There was a sudden wave of warmth that spread through her like wild fire, and then a loud groan echoed off the walls. Sen instinctively ducked; throwing a glance over her shoulder towards the door as the fireplace continued to groan. "Shut up…" She glared back at the fireplace to realize that it had shifted over just enough for her to barely pass through. Shock had frozen her to the spot in which she stood as she stared down the dark tunnel.

**"**I did it…." She still couldn't believe it as she slowly stood up and made her way through the open door into the darkness. She rushed down the stairs as quickly as she could without killing herself, a smile lighting up her face. The shock that it actually worked was still hummed through her when she reached the bottom. Her breaths came out in short pants as she walked down the row of cells. There was a dim bluish green light that lit up the hallway, but Sen wasn't exactly sure where it was coming from. It didn't take her long to reach the end, and she was finally able to see where the source of the light. It was so bright that she could barely make out his shadow that danced along the wall behind him. There was a slight breeze that teased her hair as she stopped a few feet from his barred door. She didn't know how long she stood there, just watching him, hearing him mutter words in a language that she didn't understand. His voice hummed through her, almost like it was trying to lull her to sleep. A small smile slid across her face as she continued to watch the light, her eyes closing slightly as she committed his tones and words to memory. The sudden absence of light made her jump slightly and it took her a moment to realize that his voice had stopped. Darkness left her blind as a hiss echoed off the stone walls as she raised her hands in front of her, and taking a tentative step forward. After a moment, she made contact with the copper bars, brown eyes blinked rapidly to try and adjust to the sudden darkness.

"What are you _doing_ here?" The hiss echoed again, but was a lot closer then it had been before. Sen smiled as her eyes finally adjusted to the dark. The first thing that she noticed was his eyes, still glowing slightly from the use of magic. After a few more minutes, she was able to make out the lines of his face and body. "You promised not to do anything stupid remember?" Even in anger, his voice sounded beautiful, and she couldn't help the waves of relief that flowed through her, the pressure that had been weighing her down evaporating instantly.

"It's ok…Yubaba's still sleeping, and Rin's got me covered if I'm late-"

"That doesn't explain why you are down here. Do you know what will happen if you are caught?" Haku stopped and took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. She had given him a heart attack, just showing up like that. He had thought that she was the witch at first. If Yubaba knew that he still had enough energy in him for a curing spell…He let the thought drop as he took another deep, slightly shaky breath. He would never openly admit how badly he had missed her. There wasn't a minute that passed that he hadn't thought of her in some way; no matter how hard he tried not to. And now that she was here…standing not three feet from him. He shook his head slightly as the concerned anger returned. She still didn't understand how dangerous it was to be down here. What the punishment would be if she were to be caught. He was tempted to tell her, just to scare her into never coming down here again. But he knew that he could never do that. He could see her reaction now….the look of fear and horror at what his kind did to those they were punishing. Even in his mind's eye, it was a look that would not leave him fully. He looked up at her, his eyes not hindered by the lack of light. "You need to leave. Now, before they find you."

"They're not going to." She said it with such conviction that he almost believed her. She was twisting around to get the bag off of her bag and began to shift through it. There was a small smile that seemed permanently fixed on her face as she found what she was looking for. "I brought you some food and medicine. It's not magical like Granny's but it should help you…" Despite his concern, he couldn't help but feel touched that she would go through such lengths just to bring him something so simple.

"Chihiro, listen to me…" He tried to reach through the bars to grab her hands, but the chains prevented him from doing so. Chihiro seem to know what he wanted though, and reached through to take his hands into hers. There was such a drastic contrast between the temperatures of her hands and his that her skin felt like it was burning his. "I understand what you are trying to do, but you must keep your promise. If you were to get caught-"

"I told you that's not going to happ-"

"You don't know that for sure." He snapped, cutting her off. "I don't want you down here, risking your life for something as foolish as this." He nodded his head towards the small bundle of food. There was a long moment of silence where the two just stared at each other; a contest of wills to see who would break the silence first.

"I will _not_ stay down there and do nothing while you are wasting away in this rat hole." Chihiro muttered all traces of her smile gone. She wiggled her hands free and gently pressed the cloth bundle into his now empty ones. "If this is all that I can do then…that's all I can do but at least this is something." She smirked slightly, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Were you always this stubborn?" Haku muttered as he took the small package through the bars and opened them to find two small rice balls, and three rolls of salmon sushi. Now that was something he hadn't had in a long, long time, and his stomach gurgled in joy.

"Yeah, at least that's what my parents always told me." Her smirk returned as she settled down on the other side of the copper bars. Time seemed to fly by as they talked about whatever came to mind. Chihiro told him of what had happened in the eight years that she had been gone. It had taken Haku longer then he liked to eat the food, seeing as he couldn't clearly remember the last time Yubaba had allowed him to eat. Unlike humans, spirits couldn't die from starvation. The lack of food however was extremely uncomfortable, and would often leave them drained of energy; just as the dragon was now. If one was starved for too long, they would lose their power to control magic all together. And that, he thought darkly, was most likely Yubaba's plan in the first place. The fact that he was still able to cast a curing spell was nothing short of a miracle. Chihiro had done more for him then she knew. Despite the worry of the girl getting caught, he was glad that she had decided to come down here. Jade eyes narrowed then as a thought hit him.

"How did you get down here?" He asked suddenly, cutting her off from whatever she had been saying. Her brown eyes narrowed in confusion as she looked at him.

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean the door. Only those with magic can open it. How did you do it?" Chihiro's eyes widened in understanding before she shrugged slightly.

"I don't know. I said the word and it just….did." Haku's brow crinkled in confusion as he pondered the new information. There was no possible way for a human such as Chihiro to open that door. Maybe Zeniba had given the girl something before she left. Something then moved on the floor above them, causing his head to shoot upwards.

"You need to leave now." He muttered, still looking at the stone ceiling. There was a moment of silence as he listened for more movement. For a long moment, there was nothing and Haku was starting to think he was hearing things.

"Why? There are still a couple of-" The floors moaned again, only this time where were more of them….two or three, and they were a lot closer then before. He looked back at her, green eyes wide in fear.

"Now, Chihiro. Someone's coming." Her eyes widened slightly as she quickly closed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She stood up to leave, but paused for a moment before crouching back down again. "What are you-"

"I'll be back. I promise I will find a way to get you out of here."

"Go!" He could barely keep the fear from his voice as she rose once again, and turned to run down the long hallway. There was only one way out, and he hoped to the gods that she didn't get caught.

xVxVxVxVx

Fear laced with adrenaline flowed through her as she dashed up the stairs. She shouldn't have been so foolish with her time. She should have known that Yubaba would get up before everyone else. While part of her cursed at herself for her stupidity, the other part hoped to God that the sounds that they heard were just that….sounds. She paused as she reached the end of the hallway, poking her head around the corner to see if the coast was still clear. The door was still open, the afternoon light still flooding the stairwell. The noises sounded again, this time it sounded as if it was moving away from the door. Chihiro smirked as she continued up the stairs. If she could just make it out of the office without getting caught, then she would be home free. There was suddenly movement on the top of the stairs, making her freeze half way up the staircase.

There on the top step where the three heads, bouncing up and down and groaning urgently. Every once in a while they would look behind them, before bouncing more enthusiastically. Shock had frozen to the spot for a few moments before the brunette was able to move again. A large gush of air escaped through her lips as she let out a sigh of relief. So she was still in the green. Chihiro smirked as she stopped in front of the three heads, who had stopped jumping up and down, and were now looking towards the door that led to the nursery. There was movement in the room next to the office, and Chihiro could hear Yubaba talking to the baby. The one that was farthest to her left looked back towards her and groaned, snapping her out of her stupor.

"Thanks guys…I owe you one." She muttered as she passed the three green heads, heading towards the door. Just as she was about to leave the bright office, a thought hit her and she turned around. "**_Propinquus**…_****" **Despite the volume of her voice, the door slid shut with a groan, and Chihiro fled the room before the witch could pin her for anything. Her surroundings were blurs as she ran all the way to the dorm, not bothering to take the elevators. Sen didn't stop until she was safe in the dorm, head on the rolled pillow. The adrenaline didn't ease though, as her ears listened for sounds that signaled her being followed. As the sun set, however, her eyes drew closed until Rin was shaking her awake to start a new day.

"So did it work?" Rin asked as they were heading down the hall towards the first floor to great the guests. Sen couldn't help but smirk as she looked to her dark haired companion.

"Like a charm."

**xXxXxXx**

The next six months seemed to fly by. Sen continued her duties with renewed vigor, no longer making stupid mistakes, or creating accidents. Life continued as if the two months of bad luck had never happened. She would go visit Haku twice a month, but as the months went by she began to visit more frequently until she was seeing the dragon once a week. Every time she would visit, she would bring food for the man, and treats for the green heads, seeing as they were her lookouts. They always jumped on the top step to warn her when Yubaba was up and about, giving her just enough time to get back up the stairs and close the door before the witch found out what was going on. No one seemed to notice the missing leftovers, or the small amounts of green and jasmine tea that would randomly go missing.

Kafu continued to watch over her, helping her with whatever she needed. Food, bath tokens, drinks, towels…..whatever it was, Kafu was there to get it for her. At first it was nice, and Sen couldn't help but feel grateful for the extra help. After about a month of the 'special attention' as Rin had once called it, the other hostess' quickly got jealous. The girls whom Sen had once gotten along well with were now glaring at her with eyes full of hate and jealousy. Sen would often try to send Kafu on long errands, but he would get them done quickly and return to help her. As much as Sen liked the attention, it was starting to get annoying.

As the weeks progressed, so did Kafu. The man seemed to check with her every five minutes, asking if there was anything that he could do for her. He would bring her food and drinks that were strictly off limits for the servants, and allowed her to take longer lunch breaks then those of the other workers. Kafu would walk her to her dorm every night, and would always be right around the corner, waiting for her after she and Rin had got their assignments. He would check on her so much that she had start switching up the days in which she would go and visit Haku. The day would never be on the same day as it had been the week before.

Sen wasn't blind enough to see the signs; she had seen them a thousand times back in the human world. She was touched that Kafu liked her, but she tried to make it as clear as she could that she wasn't interested on being anything more then just friends. Kafu would take it in stride, however each time she rejected his feelings he would try that much harder to try to win her affection.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with him. I've tried to tell him over and over that I'm not interested, but he just doesn't seem to get it." Chihiro muttered as she bit into a dumpling. Haku sighed as he finished off the tea that she had brought him.

"Just be careful, Chihiro…" He eyed her again as the feeling in the pit of his stomach twisted slightly. He still didn't know what it was, but something about Chihiro seemed….different. And whatever it was, it got stronger every time she came to see him. As the feeling got stronger, Haku came to the conclusion that Zeniba was there with her, standing invisible to them both, silently watching over them. How else was the girl opening the door? He knew for a fact that the door took a good amount of magic to open. There was no possible way that the girl could open it by herself. Yubaba still beat and starved him. He would cast a glamour on himself right before Chihiro got there, so that the girl wouldn't worry, shedding the spell only when she left. As far as the dragon knew, the witch was still oblivious and that was all that mattered.

"Yeah, I will. Besides I got Rin to help me if Kafu get's too close." Chihiro chuckled slightly, her free hand playing with Haku's through the bars. She still hadn't found the spell to open the doors, but she wasn't giving up. All she needed to do was wait for Zeniba to return so that the brunette could ask her. The familiar _thumps_ echoed along the stone walls, causing both sets of eyes to turn their gaze towards the end of the hallway. Was it really that time already? Chihiro sighed as she quickly packed her things, making sure that she didn't leave any sign of someone else being here. After settling her bag on her back, she reached through the bars and took the boys hands; the pale skin warmer then it had been before. "I'll see you later." Haku smiled slightly and squeezed her hands a little.

"Until next time." They stood there for a moment before Chihiro stood up, and quietly made her way down the hallway. Brown eyes widened slightly when she reached the stair case only to find the top stair empty. She paused at the edge of the stairs, ears listening for anything that was out of the ordinary. When she didn't hear anything, she slowly made her way up the stairs, and out the door. Just as she said the spell to close the door, the three heads made their way out of the nursery, but stopped and looked at Chihiro in confusion. Chihiro's gaze snapped around the room, body tensed and ready in case she found something. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but Chihiro couldn't help but feel that something had gone terribly wrong. Not bothering to push her luck any further, the brunette gave the treats to the heads and ran out of the room

**xXxXxXx**

Sen hummed to herself as she made her way towards the kitchens to put the dishes away for the day. She had one more hour until she could see Haku again, and that fact alone made it hard not to smile. The random scare that she had two weeks ago seemed more like a distant dream now then reality. The visit after that went off without any problems, and things went back to what they were before. Kafu seemed to have finally got the message, and backed off on his advances; but he still hung around more then she, or Rin, would've liked. But it was nice knowing that whatever had made that noise in the office was gone. It might have been simply that she and Haku were hearing things.

"Sen! Wait up!" Sen's smile fell slightly, but managed to stay in place as Kafu slowed to a walk next to her. "I can't believe you left without me." His voice was filled with playful hurt as he placed a hand over his heart. "I'm hurt." Sen shrugged slightly, brown eyes looking straight ahead down the hallway.

"Well, you were taking too long, and I'm tired." A sigh made her gaze snap over to the boy beside her.

"And here I was thinking that you might want to have breakfast with me….It'll have all your favorites." Ice blue eyes seemed to plead with her as they started to walk up the stairs to the dorms. Sen shook her head, a sad smile on her face.

"That sounds really nice, but I'm really, _really_, tired. The customers had me running everywhere today…" Her shoulders slumped as if to emphasize her weariness. A hand suddenly landed on her right shoulder.

"And besides, she promised to hang out with me today. Right Sen?" Rin cut in, grinning at the man before her. Sen groaned, but couldn't quite keep the smile off her face.

"If I have to…" Rin's grin fell as dark eyes glared at Sen.

"Oh you know you'll enjoy it. Besides, when was the last time we really got to talk huh? You've barely told me anything since you got here…" Sen smirked at the hidden meaning and paused to place her hands on the taller woman's shoulders.

"I promise to tell you everything….as long as I get six hours of sleep first ok?" Rin's eyebrows rose slightly in amusement, and Sen continued before she could say anything. "OK, ok….five hours Five hours of sleep, and then I'm all yours."

"Yes!" Rin pumped her fist in the air before the three continued down the hall. Kafu sighed and pretended to drag his feet.

"Why can't I ever have long talks with Sen?"

"Because I've known her longer." Rin rebutted as they reached the door. "And this is where you leave for…..Where ever it is you go. See you tomorrow." She sang as she entered the room. The voices of the other girls drowned the woman out, and Sen shook her head. Something then touched her hand, making the girl jump slightly.

"Seriously, Sen…One of these mornings. I'd love just to talk." Kafu smiled slightly as he looked down at their joined hands. "I never know where you are anymore….you're always off doing something, or with someone. I miss you." Sen gently pulled her hand out of his as she smiled up at him.

"One day, when Yubaba doesn't have me running around all over the place, I will have breakfast with you ok?" Kafu smiled and grabbed her hand again.

"Promise me." The words caused Sen to pause for a moment. Something….something was wrong, and for a moment the boy in front of her looked different. The blue eyes suddenly turned cold, his innocent, eager smile seemed to look almost evil. Even the sunlight seemed to have dimmed slightly. But it only lasted for the tiniest of measurements before she was left there, standing in the door with the sun's rays blinding her, and Kafu smiling innocently at her. She must be more tired then she thought.

"Sen, Come on!" Rin called from somewhere within the room. Brown eyes continued to stare at the boy before her in confusion before she shook her head slightly.

"I'm coming!" She turned and started to pull away but Kafu retained his hold on her hand.

"Promise me, Sen."

"Ok, I promise. Now really…let me go to sleep before I pass out on the floor." Kafu chuckled before wrapping his arms around the small girl. He soon released her, and Sen started to walk into the room, but stopped when the boy refused to let go of her hand. "Good night, Kafu."

"Good morning, Sen." His eyes never left hers as he raised her hand to lips to kiss the knuckles gently.

xXxXxXx

Bare feet ran along the wooden flooring, silent with months of practice. Nothing could keep the smile from her face as she sped up the stairs and entered the elevator. Adjusting the large pack on her back, she looked through the small holes in the walls, and watched as the ground floor moved farther and farther away. She shifted the pack again, as she silently begged the gliding box to move faster.

"_Promise me."_

The two words cut through her reverie, causing the smile on her lips to fall. Sen sighed as she tried to clear her mind of the image that refused to leave. Even after the hour and a half worth of sleep that Rin demanded she take, she couldn't get that face out of her head. Now that she thought back to it, the words had seemed more like a demand then a plea. But as the elevator doors opened, Sen brushed off the thought for a later time.

The dim lights were lit, just like always. Sen walked up to the door, silently opened it, and shut it in the same manner. Her bare feet then ran down the plush carpeted hallway, no longer needing to wait until her eyes adjusted. Within moments, she entered the office, blinking to get her eyes adjusted to the bright lights. Once she could see, Sen walked across the room and stood in front of the fireplace.

"**_Patefacio_****." **The door opened without a sound, and Sen wasted no time in making her way down the stairs. She bumped her hand along the wall in various knocks to let Haku know that it was her. When she got onto level ground Sen ran down the hall until she got to the last cell that faced the rest of the hallway. Her breaths came out in slight pants as a smile slid across her face. A single eyebrow rose slightly as he looked at her.

"What's the rush?" She could hear the laugh in his voice as she sat down just outside of the bars. Her breathing slowly returned to normal as she dug through her bag for the sushi and dumplings that she had taken with her.

"Didn't want to be later then I already was." The chains rattled as he moved closer as well, although he couldn't get as close as she could. Passing him the food through the bars, Sen bit hungrily into her dumpling. She had been too busy today to eat anything, and she was starving. "And besides, today is a special day…" The last part was more of a mumble than an actual statement, causing Haku to chuckle slightly. Chihrio felt the heat rush to her face as she continued to eat her dumplings. There was a small moment of silence as the two eat their meals. She doubted that he actually remembered. She wasn't even sure with they had the days marked in the spirit world. There were no months, no numbers to mark the days or years, as far as she knew. So it was impossible for him to actually remember.

"Chihiro….." Haku's voice made her glance up at him. He had already finished the sushi and was now looking at her, jade eyes seeming to burn with emotion. She felt her own brown eyes narrow in confusion causing him to smile slightly.

"What's going on?" She asked when he didn't say anything. There was a long moment of silence, and it was then that she realized that he held his hands behind his back. His smile widened slightly as he gently took one of her hands, and placed whatever he had been holding in her palm. For a moment, she couldn't find her voice. There, sitting in her palm was a single silver scale that had been strung onto a thin black leather cord.

"To honor the day we first met." All she could do was stare at it, too much in shock to do much else. She couldn't believe it. How was he able to make something like this, bound as he was? She knew that he couldn't have had enough power and energy to undergo a transformation. That and the cell was far too small. She was finally able to tear her eyes away from the small thing to look at him.

"You remembered." She stated, still somewhat in shock.

"How could I forget?" He asked her quietly. There was another moment of silence as she glanced back at the priceless gift in her hand, a smile slowly spreading across her face until it threatened to split it in two. "You would have to keep it hidden; the cord is long enough that you can wear it underneath your clothing without anyone noticing." Chihiro nodded, not knowing if she could trust her voice at the moment. She took the ends of the cord and tied it behind her neck, pulling on the front of her shirt so that she could slip in the silver scale. He was right…the cord was long enough that the scale hung right next to her heart. He nodded when he could no longer see the scale or the thread that it hung on.

"Thank you." She reached into the bars to take hold of his hands, desperately wishing that she could open the door so that she could at least hug him. But this would have to do….beggars mustn't be choosers after all. She noticed that she had to reach in further then usual to reach him and her brown eyes narrowed, her brilliant smile falling.

"Did Yubaba…" She trailed off, counting the links of the chains in her head. Haku's smile fell slightly as he looked down at the things that kept him from reaching the copper bars.

"Yes…she shorted them. Apparently she thought that I didn't need to have so much freedom to move about." Even with his arm extended as far as the links would allow him, Chihiro had to put in more then half her arm to reach him. She had to get him out fast, or at least find a way to ask Granny about the spell to the door. Haku seemed to pick up on what she was thinking. "Remember your promise, Chihiro."

"I know." She sighed as she tried to warm his hands with little success. "I will also keep mine. I will find a way to get you out of here." Just as he was about to say something, the familiar thumps echoed throughout the hallway, causing both to look towards the stairs. "Gotta go…" She gave Haku's hand a reassuring squeeze before gathering her things. This was always the hardest part, leaving him down here, to be beaten and starved. The thought that she would be able to come back helped with the guilt and pain, but didn't remove it completely. Just as she was starting to make her way down the long hallway, his voice called out to her once more, making her turn around slightly.

"No one must see that pendant, Chihiro, not even Rin or Kamaji. Make absolutely sure that it stays hidden." His voice sounded strange, almost frightened. There was a brief question as to why Haku would be afraid of such a little thing. She knew it would expose their secret meetings, but that couldn't be enough for the fear that was thinly masked in jade eyes….could it? Chihiro's eyes narrowed in confusion as she nodded.

"I will keep it safe. Don't worry." He watched her as she left, the loneliness already settling in as it always did. Despite his attempts to push it down, doubt as to whether he should have actually given her the charm flooded his mind. So many things could go wrong if someone found it, or saw it in any way, shape or form. And anyone with an ounce of magic in them would notice that the small charm had been magically enhanced. As long as she wore it, even with his limited power, he would be able to tell if she were ever in trouble. As long as she wore it, the charm would serve as a small defense against the more basic spells. As well as…

His thoughts trailed off as he moved back away from the door to lean against the wall. If Rin or Kamaji ever saw it, they would instantly know what it meant. And the green eyed boy was positive that Chihiro wasn't ready for that quite yet. It would be better for the both of them if she remained ignorant for a little while longer. At least until he gained enough power back to break out of this prison. Leaning his head against the wall, he released a slow breath to let the glamour fall. The cuts and bruises that marred his skin reappeared, looking slightly worse then they had when he had first cast the spell to hide them. The cuts were inflamed, some taking on a yellow tint from infection, the bruises looking like ink spots that marred his skin. Even the old ones had yet to fade into the sickly yellow of healing. It had taken a lot more energy then he had thought to conjure up the gift that the brunette now wore. He knew it had been foolish, but he hadn't been able to help it. He had just wanted to see her happy. To see her smile, her real smile, for the first time in eight long years.

That feat, however, had cost him greatly and had become a major setback. It would take him twice as long now, to regain the power that he had spent. Even with Chihiro slipping him food, Yubaba continued to sap his strength, making it nearly impossible for him to complete a simple healing spell anymore. It was all he could do to keep the glamour up long enough during the brunette's visits. The last thing she needed right now was the stress that came with worrying about him. That would only serve to give her problems in the long run.

_Was it really worth it?_

His inner voice asked as he tried to block out the pain. Her smile flashed in front of his eyes once more, making a small smile of his own play with the corners of his lips. _Yes…_He answered as jade eyes closed to block out the dreary scene around him. _Yes…it had been completely worth it._

xXxXxXx

She couldn't quite keep the smile from her face as she raced up the stairs. Even though it was as light as a feather, Sen could still feel the pendant lying right next to her heart. She still couldn't believe that he actually remembered, let alone was able to somehow gain one of his scales and a leather cord to make the priceless gift. She felt as if she was floating, with happiness radiating off of her in waves. Not even the gloom of the long staircase could ruin her mood. But as she reached the last of the steps, something else shattered her reverie, leaving feeling cold and venerable. The three heads, which were normally so happy to see her, were instead huddled against each other in the corner across the room. Panic shone bright from their large green eyes, and what worried her the most is that it wasn't at her in which those eyes were looking. Making sure to remain as silent as possible, Sen poked her head out of the doorway and looked around. Everything was in its place, there was not a single thing in the large office that shouldn't be. It was as empty as she had left it. Seeing that the coast was clear, she exited the staircase cautiously, closing the door behind her. The door shut without a sound and Sen sighed as she made her way towards the heads. The poor things were so scared that they were shaking. She knelt down to hold out a hand to them, her brow crinkling in confusion when they made no effort to come out of the corner. Their large eyes shifted from her to something behind her, causing her head to snap back to look over her shoulder. Still nothing, they were the only ones in the office. Turning back to the heads, she gave them an easy smile.

"What's got you guys so scared?" Not even a grunt in response. Sen's smile faded as she once again glanced over her shoulder. Not seeing anything out of the usual, she turned back and took out the sweets that she had brought with her. Not even the sight of food brought them out of their corner. As she placed the food next to them in the corner, Sen couldn't help but feel as if she was being watched. But it didn't make sense, seeing as there was no one else in the room. Sighing, she stood and straightened the small backpack into a more comfortable position. "Ok, well you guys take care. I'll see you next week." Their eyes never left whatever it was they were looking at. Glancing once more over her shoulder, Sen tried to shake the feeling as she left the office and headed back down towards the room.

xXxXxXx

"You saw her _close_ the door?" Laughter suddenly erupted from the woman, echoing loudly off the walls. The idea itself was laughable. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he never would have believed it either. But he had seen it… he saw her close the door without a sound. There was no possible way for her to be able to do that. Not even Yubaba could open and close the door without it groaning even a little. The only other explanation would be that the dragon was helping her in some way. But that too was impossible. He had seen first hand how weakened Haku was. It would be impossible for him to summon enough power to open a door that far away from him.

"I know how it sounds, but what I speak is true. She has some how found a way to open and close the door while you're sleeping." He paused, as Yubaba's crackling laugh slowly ended. "And I have reason to believe that she is bringing him food as well." Yubaba instantly sobered, large brown eyes glaring at the boy who stood before them.

"What?"

"She brings food for your pets as well." Ice blue eyes glanced over to the three heads who were still cowering in the corner. "They are the ones who warn her when you awaken, giving her more than enough time to make it back down to her room with you none the wiser. As payment, she brings them some of the extra treats from the kitchen. I imagine she takes a few of the other extras as well. Why else would she need such a large bag for something she could easily carry in her hands?" Yubaba stared at her apprentice for a long moment, brown eyes narrowing to slits.

"If I find that you are lying to me..." She trailed off, leaving the threat hanging. Kafu crushed the rising fear that was trailing up his spine. After a moment, when he knew he could trust is voice, he spoke.

"For what reason would I bring you news that I know would anger you, Master? I speak the truth. Go down and see for yourself if you do not believe me. Despite his lack of power and energy, you will see that Haku is in better health then when you last left him; as he has been the past couple of weeks." Their gazes met for a prolonged moment of silence. Kafu could almost hear the noises of the now fully opened bathhouse through the flooring.

"You wish to speak?" Yubaba asked testily, reading the look in the ice blue eyes. Kafu nodded and bowed slightly.

"With your permission, I would like to be in charge of the punishment."

"Why should I give up the pleasure of punishment to someone like you?" Kafu allowed himself to smile slightly as his gaze once again met that of the witches.

"Didn't you yourself say that you wished to break the dragon? Crush his hope, and lead him to a point where he would beg you for death?" Large brown eyes narrowed as the witch rested her large head in her hands.

"I'm listening."

xXxXxXx

Sen!" Sen paused on her way up the stairs to look back at who called her name. She repressed a groan and forced a smile when she saw Kafu running up the stairs to join her. And here she thought she had finally gotten rid of him. During the past six days, his attempts to 'woo her' as Rin had called it seemed to have tripled. He was everywhere she went; watching, insisting on helping her with not only her guests but her chores as well. To make matters worse, Kafu seemed to have no knowledge of the meaning of the term 'personal space'. Whenever he was given the chance, he was holding her hand, had his arm over her shoulders; sitting, standing, walking not a foot away from her. All the hovering was beginning to make her feel claustrophobic. She had thought him to be over this. Rin found it amusing; all Sen found it was annoying.

"Yes, Kafu?" She answered tiredly, using the small break to rest her pounding feet. The boy finally managed to catch up with her. His breaths escaped his lips in small pants as he took her hand. The brunette bit down a sigh and tried to gently take her hand back, but Kafu's grip was as immovable as iron. A hurt expression crossed his face and Sen braced herself.

"Why did you leave me behind? I told you I was only going to be a few minutes…"

"I told _you_, Kafu that I've had a long day, and I'm tired..."

"Well allow me to at least show you to your room…" Sen bit down her angry response and nodded. If she had learned anything by now it was that it was easier to allow Kafu to do what he wanted, verses actually trying to fight it. It was simply easier that way. He squeezed her hand in reassurance as the two continued up the stairs. "We could just take the elevator you know-"

"We're almost there." Sen cut him off as she tried to ignore the pain in her feet. She'd have blisters again, but that wasn't what was on her mind. In less then three hours, she would be able to see Haku again; that was of course, only if she was able to lose her admirer long enough to have a decent visit with the green haired man.. Her thoughts were brought to a screeching halt when she suddenly pitched forward, tripping over her two own feet. Luckily, Kafu's hand was already there, keeping her from falling flat on her face. As she glanced up to that him, she was struck by his expression. His eyes weren't looking at her, but at her torso.

"What's that?" He asked, pointing to the small black thread that was poking out of her kimono. Sen looked down and froze for a moment before her hand shot out to push the cord back in.

"It's nothing, Kafu. Come on, I'm tired-" She stated as she tried to continue up the stairs.

"Sen..." The name was laced with a chuckle, pulling on her hand to gently guide her back towards him. "Come on, let me see it. I won't tell anyone."

"N-" The word cut off as Kafu's finger dove beneath the silk folds to grab the black leather cord, pulling on it until the silver scale came out. Blue eyes narrowed in confusion as he reached down to touch it.

"What's-" His words cut off as soon as his finger brushed up against the smooth pendant, his hand jerking back as if the small thing had burned him. The blue orbs hardened from confused innocence to shock and what almost looked like outrage. Snatching the necklace out of his grasp, Sen shoved it back down under the folds of her kimono, but she knew that the damage had already been done. Dread filled her as she glanced back up at the boy who had moved away from her back down the stairs.

"Please….excuse me, Sen. I have forgotten something that requires my attention." All the warmth had left his voice as he bowed slightly towards her before turning to head calmly down the stairs. Sen paled as she watched him go. Never before had she seen Kafu so angry. Never before did she have a reason to suspect that he might be dangerous. But that was exactly what he had looked like, with the rage pouring out through his eyes. He looked extremely dangerous. Without wasting another moment, Sen turned on her heel and fled up the stairs. After what seemed like forever, she finally reached the room, grabbing Rin just as the older woman was about to go through the door.

"Sen what-" Her words were cut off as Sen dragged her down the hall and into one of the old rooms. She closed the door; Sen then released her friend and began to pace frantically. "Sen what is going on?"

"He knows. God Rin he knows." Sen spat the words out, her face paling further making her brown eyes look larger then they actually were. Her hands flew to run nervously through her hair. "Oh god what have I done?" Rin placed gentle hands on the girl's shoulders to keep her still. The girl's breaths were starting to come out in pants as her mind ran through various scenarios, each worse then the last, of what would happen to Haku now because of her foolishness.

"Sen, slow down, take a deep breath and tell me again what happened. Slowly."

"Kafu knows." Sen whimpered as tears began to pool in her eyes. "And it's all my fault…" She knew that she shouldn't have worn it to work, but the fear of it being found in the room had been greater then the prospect of it being found on her person. And she knew that Kafu knew who it belonged to. Why else would he get so angry?

"Knows what?"

"About me and…and Haku… and about me going to see him. He knows, he knows and now Haku is the one who is going to pay for it. God Rin, he's already being beaten and starved. If they find out I've been slipping him food they'll kill-"

"Ok, Sen, calm down. Yubaba would never kill Haku. He is far too valuable to her. The person you should be worried about is you. When Yubaba finds out that you have been going behind her back to help her favorite prisoner…." The older woman trailed off as the prospect ran through her head. Finally releasing the girl she ran a free hand through her long hair. "Damn it Sen, how did he find out?" Sen paused, unable to look her friend in the eye anymore.

"I…I don't know." The words sounded false, even to her own ears. Rin glared at the girl, hands resting on her hips.

"This isn't the time to lie to me, Sen. Tell me the truth."

"I can't!"

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I promised Haku that I wouldn't tell anyone." Sen cried, clutching the small scale through the material of kimono. Rin threw her hands up in agitation.

"Sen, I'm pretty sure he'll forgive you. Kafu knows, and the little demon won't hesitate to tell Yubaba. And besides, it's me. What could possibly be bad enough that you can't tell me?" Sen took a deep breath. She supposed that since the secret was out, she might as well. Besides, what was so bad about showing Rin that she had one of Haku's scales? Sighing, she fished out the necklace that she had hidden from her partner, showing her the smooth silver scale. When brown eyes glanced back up to the woman before her, she realized something was wrong. Rin was staring at the scale; her mouth hanging open slightly in a look of complete shock.

"Sen….do you know what this is?" She asked softly, brown eyes never looking away from the small seemingly harmless thing that Sen now held in the palm of her hand. Sen didn't like where this was going, the bad feeling left an awful taste in her mouth.

"It's one of Haku's scales…." She paused, not liking the look on her friends face. Rin continued to look at it in shock. For Haku to go out on such a limb, despite the situation he was still in, was a great deal. If anyone else were to find it, not only would they know that Sen was consorting with a dragon, but that she was now…

"And he didn't tell you what this would mean if someone were to find it?"

"No, there was no time. Rin what's wrong? It's just one of Haku's scales, why are you-"

"No Sen, it is not 'just one of Haku's scales'." Finally able to break her gaze away from the small thing, Rin took a deep breath to try and calm her frazzled nerves. "When a dragon gives another being one of their scales or anything that belongs to them, it's a sign of ownership. No one would ever dare to cross you now, because you belong to a dragon. In a more instinctual sense, you are his property. If Kafu saw that…." Rin trailed off and shook her head. "I would normally advise you to stop seeing Haku until this entire thing has blown over. But seeing Kafu now knows that you belong to another dragon, it's probably best that you warn Haku about this. At least give him a heads up so that he can be as prepared as possible for what's coming next."

"And what would that be?" Sen was almost too afraid to ask. But she would do everything she could to keep Haku as safe as possible. Rin didn't answer right away, but the grim expression on her face told the human girl that what ever it was, it wasn't good.

"I don't know…" She replied eventually. "But one thing I do know is that you have to let Haku know what's going on as soon as possible. Go now, before Kafu has the chance to awaken Yubaba." Sen nodded, tucking the scale back into its hiding place. Without another word, Sen fled the room, moving as fast as her tired legs were able to carry her. Rin continued to stand in the empty room for a moment; making sure that the footsteps had faded completely before she left and made her way back towards the room. Pale hands opened the door silently, ice blue eyes peering into the room and resting on the brunette who was fast asleep on her bed, her long brown hair spilling over the edge of the small cot. It was a good thing that the girl was stressed, or else she would have noticed the slips in his speech. Kafu let the image of the lowly servant girl fall as he silently closed the door, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

"You will regret the day you took her away from me, Kohaku."

"_You are not to touch her, Kafu. I will be the one to punish Sen." The witch's smile widened. "If you go against me, your punishment will be just as severe as hers…"_

Ice eyes narrowed as he made his way back towards the office. The witch was far more lenient then he originally thought. If it had been any other spirit, they would have gladly agreed with what he had planned for the two lovebirds. But No….Yubaba didn't want her prize to get angry enough that she could no longer control him. Couldn't she see that his plans would break the dragon's spirit, not strengthen his resolve? To watch a lover go through that much pain would shatter the will of any spirit, dragon or no. But even as the black haired apprentice pleaded with his master to give him a chance, she had remained unmoving in her decision.

"_I want to be the one that shatters his will. I want to watch his face as he his hope dies."_

"_But you can. He will not resist you after this. He will be too afraid that it will…reoccur if he were to do anything other then what you would wish of him." Yubaba looked at him for a long moment, enough for Kafu to believe that he might actually get the chance to do what he had planned. But the old witch remained steadfast in her decision. _

"_You are not to harm the girl. You forget that she too as a will almost as strong as the dragon's."_

"_And this would shatter her will as well. Don't you see, you could kill two birds with only a single stone." But Yubaba was still shaking her head. _

"_You are not to touch her, Kafu. I will be the one to punish Sen." The witch's smile widened. "If you go against me, your punishment will be just as severe as hers…Get the girl to come back up here one last time. I will be able to handle it from there."_

Kafu pushed down the urge to punch something as he walked briskly through the halls that lead to the elevator. Losing his temper now would only serve to restrict him that much more. The bathhouse was empty now, the halls blissfully silent. There was nothing that Yubaba could do that would break Haku's spirit like he could. He knew, after all, all of the dragon's weaknesses. All Yubaba will do is push him that much closer to madness. And everyone knew that no one could contain a dragon caught in a rage; no matter how weakened he was. As he reached the elevator, Kafu shook his head slightly. It seemed that he would have to wait until Yubaba finally saw reason. A small smile played with his lips. And he could wait….if it meant that he could finally have her.

xXxXxXx

The hall was as silent and dark like it always was as she made her way down the dark corridor. Nothing seemed out of place, and yet Sen felt as if something wasn't right. Pushing down the feeling, she reached Yubaba's office and not waiting for her eyes to adjust to the bright light, she ran straight for the fireplace.

"**_Patefacio." _**The word left her lips before she consciously thought about it, and the door opened soundlessly. What would Haku think when he found out? Sen bit her lip as she ran down the stairs, nearly killing herself twice. As soon as her feet touched the dirt floor, she broke out into a dead run. She heard his voice before she turned the corner and the fear in it almost brought her up short.

"NO Chihiro! Go back!"

"Haku's something's happened. I need to-"

"NO! Leave now! Get out of here before she comes back!" Never had she seen him so scared. Never before had she heard so much panic cover his voice. Brown eyes narrowed in confusion. Yubaba was asleep; there was no way that the witch would know that she was down here.

"But-" A dark chuckle cut her off and Chihiro whirled around to see Yubaba standing in the middle of the hall that led to the only exit. Her smile widened as the laugh came to a close.

"My, Sen…that didn't take you too long at all. See Haku? Didn't I tell you that she would come? Humans are so predictable after all…"

"You will not touch her, Yubaba." Haku growled from his cell, his jade eyes narrowing to slits.

"Or what? There is nothing that you can do to save your precious human now." The old witch made her way towards the two, her large brown eyes shifting between them. "She knew of the consequences and yet still risked her very existence to come here and see you. It's touching really. You should be honored." Chihiro paled, but stood her ground with grim determination.

"You don't scare me, Yubaba." The witch only laughed as she grabbed the human girl by the arm. Haku's cries and curses made her heart break as Chihiro tried desperately to break away from the grip that held her. Dragging the girl to the cell closest to her, Yubaba threw the human girl in and bound her in the chains that were attached to the wall. A hand waved through the air, and the cell was instantly absent of sound, the silence making her ears ring. "What did you do?"

"Well, I can't have you chatting with your little lover while your down here now can I? I would just be giving you what you want." Even the witch's voice sounded dim, as if coming through a long tunnel. "No matter how much you scream, no matter how loud you try to be, he will never be able to hear you, nor you him." Yubaba laughed again as she slammed the door shut. She then turned and grinned at Haku, speaking even though Chihiro heard no words. Laughing again, Yubaba left her line of sight and it was all Chihiro could do to keep from screaming. It wouldn't help anyone. As the tears leaked down her face, she was for once, grateful that Haku's cell was perpendicular to hers so that he could no longer see her.

* * *

***_Patefacio - _**"open" in Latin

****_Propinquus - _**"Close" in Latin

Yes, I know it;s not very original, but I couldn't think of anything else

So there it is...Chihiro has gotten into serious trouble. Hopefully the next chapter won't take me two years please forgive me again, and let me know how you like this one ok?

Posted: (06-26-10 _Needs Editing_)


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